Lighting devices including solid state emitter groups for illuminating printed material with enhanced vibrancy

Abstract

Combinations of solid state light emitters, optionally arranged to stimulate one or more lumiphoric materials, are used to illuminate surfaces (e.g., upright surfaces) including printed material produced with CMY or CMYK inks. Vibrancy and/or efficacy may be enhanced by increasing the effective steepness of printed ink reflectance wavelength boundaries by illuminating printed material with solid state light emitters of multiple colors having tailored boundaries (e.g., increased separation between colors and/or increased energy in spectral areas highly reflected by CMY inks, or reducing energy of emissions at wavelengths to which the human eye is less sensitive). Lighting devices may include multiple operating modes having different gamut properties (e.g., relative gamut values). One or more subregions of an upright surface bearing printed material may be preferentially illuminated with an array of solid state light emitters including multiple emitters having different peak wavelengths.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A lighting device configured for illuminating a surface including printed material, the lighting device comprising:
 a plurality of solid state light emitter groups, wherein each solid state light emitter group of the plurality of solid state light emitter groups includes at least one first solid state light emitter arranged to generate first emissions comprising a first peak wavelength, and at least one second solid state light emitter arranged to generate second emissions comprising a second peak wavelength that differs by at least 40 nm from the first peak wavelength and differs by at least 40 nm from any other peak wavelength optionally generated by the at least one first solid state light emitter; 
 wherein aggregate emissions of the lighting device include emissions of the plurality of solid state light emitter groups and provide a luminous flux of at least 2000 lumens; and 
 wherein aggregate emissions of the lighting device comprise a luminous efficacy of at least 70 lumens per watt. 
 
     
     
       2. The lighting device of  claim 1 , wherein each solid state light emitter group of the plurality of solid state light emitter groups includes at least one third solid state light emitter arranged to generate third emissions comprising a third peak wavelength that differs from the second peak wavelength by at least 40 nm, that differs from the first peak wavelength by at least 40 nm, and that differs by at least 40 nm from any other peak wavelengths optionally generated by the at least one first solid state light emitter and the at least one second solid state light emitter. 
     
     
       3. The lighting device of  claim 2 , comprising at least one of the following features (i) or (ii): (i) the at least one second solid state light emitter is arranged to produce emissions having a full width-half maximum intensity value of no greater than 35 nm; or (ii) the third peak wavelength is in a range of from 630 nm to 680 nm. 
     
     
       4. The lighting device of  claim 1 , wherein the surface including printed material comprises an upright surface including printed material, and the plurality of solid state light emitter groups is arranged in front of the upright surface including printed material, or is arranged behind an illuminated surface of the upright surface including printed material. 
     
     
       5. An outdoor billboard, poster, or illuminated sign comprising the lighting device of  claim 1 . 
     
     
       6. A lighting device configured for illuminating a surface including printed material, the lighting device comprising:
 a plurality of solid state light emitter groups, wherein each solid state light emitter group of the plurality of solid state light emitter groups includes at least one first solid state light emitter arranged to generate first emissions comprising a dominant wavelength in a blue range, at least one second solid state light emitter arranged to generate second emissions comprising a dominant wavelength in a green or yellow-green range, and at least one third solid state light emitter arranged to generate third emissions comprising a dominant wavelength in a red or red-orange range; 
 wherein aggregate emissions of the lighting device include at least a portion of the first emissions, at least a portion of the second emissions, and at least a portion of the third emissions; and 
 wherein the lighting device comprises at least one of the following features: 
 (a) the at least one first solid state light emitter is arranged to stimulate emissions of a lumiphoric material arranged to produce lumiphor emissions in a green or yellow-green range; 
 (b) the at least one second solid state light emitter is arranged to produce emissions having a full width-half maximum intensity value of no greater than 35 nm; 
 (c) the at least one third solid state light emitter comprises a peak wavelength in a range of from 630 nm to 680 nm; or 
 (d) the aggregate emissions comprise a R9-prime color rendering value of greater than 110. 
 
     
     
       7. The lighting device of  claim 6 , comprising a control circuit configured to operate the plurality of solid state light emitter groups in a plurality of operating modes including a first mode wherein the aggregate emissions comprise a first relative gamut value and including a second mode wherein the aggregate emissions comprise a second relative gamut value, wherein the second relative gamut value is at least 10% greater than the first relative gamut value. 
     
     
       8. The lighting device of  claim 6 , wherein the aggregate emissions provide a luminous flux of at least 2000 lumens. 
     
     
       9. The lighting device of  claim 6 , wherein the aggregate emissions comprise a luminous efficacy of at least 70 lumens per watt. 
     
     
       10. The lighting device of  claim 6 , wherein each solid state light emitter group of the plurality of solid state light emitter groups further comprises at least one fourth solid state light emitter including a blue solid state light emitter arranged to stimulate emissions of a lumiphoric material arranged to produce lumiphor emissions in a green or yellow-green range. 
     
     
       11. The lighting device of  claim 6 , wherein at least one of the at least one first solid state light emitter, the at least one second solid state light emitter, and the at least one third solid state light emitter includes at least one lumiphoric material. 
     
     
       12. The lighting device of  claim 6 , wherein the surface including printed material comprises an upright surface including printed material, and the plurality of solid state light emitter groups is arranged in front of the upright surface including printed material, or is arranged behind an illuminated surface of the upright surface including printed material. 
     
     
       13. An outdoor billboard, poster, or illuminated sign comprising the lighting device of  claim 6 . 
     
     
       14. A lighting device configured for illuminating a surface including printed material, the lighting device comprising:
 a plurality of solid state light emitter groups, wherein each solid state light emitter group of the plurality of solid state light emitter groups includes at least one first solid state light emitter arranged to generate first emissions comprising a dominant wavelength in a blue range, at least one second solid state light emitter arranged to generate second emissions comprising a dominant wavelength in a green or yellow-green range, and at least one third solid state light emitter arranged to generate third emissions comprising a dominant wavelength in a red or red-orange range, wherein aggregate emissions of the lighting device include at least a portion of the first emissions, at least a portion of the second emissions, and at least a portion of the third emissions; and 
 a control circuit configured to operate the plurality of solid state light emitter groups in a plurality of operating modes including a first mode wherein the aggregate emissions comprise a first relative gamut value and including a second mode wherein the aggregate emissions comprise a second relative gamut value, wherein the second relative gamut value is at least 10% greater than the first relative gamut value. 
 
     
     
       15. The lighting device of  claim 14 , further comprising at least one sensor arranged to sense at least one of an environmental condition and a property of the surface and produce at least one sensor output signal, wherein the control circuit is configured to select or adjust an operating mode of the lighting device responsive to the at least one sensor output signal. 
     
     
       16. The lighting device of  claim 14 , further comprising a time signal generating element or time signal receiving element arranged to provide at least one signal indicative of time, wherein the control circuit is configured to select or adjust an operating mode of the lighting device responsive to the at least one signal indicative of time. 
     
     
       17. The lighting device of  claim 14 , wherein at least one of the at least one first solid state light emitter, the at least one second solid state light emitter, and the at least one third solid state light emitter includes at least one lumiphoric material. 
     
     
       18. The lighting device of  claim 14 , wherein the surface including printed material comprises an upright surface including printed material, and the plurality of solid state light emitter groups is arranged in front of the upright surface including printed material, or is arranged behind an illuminated surface of the upright surface including printed material. 
     
     
       19. An outdoor billboard, poster, or illuminated sign comprising the lighting device of  claim 14 . 
     
     
       20. A lighting device configured for illuminating an upright surface including printed material, the lighting device comprising:
 an array of solid state light emitter groups, wherein each solid state light emitter group of the array of solid state light emitter groups includes at least one first solid state light emitter arranged to generate first emissions comprising a dominant wavelength in a blue range, at least one second solid state light emitter arranged to generate second emissions comprising a dominant wavelength in a green or yellow-green range, and at least one third solid state light emitter arranged to generate third emissions comprising a dominant wavelength in a red or red-orange range, wherein aggregate emissions of the lighting device include at least a portion of the first emissions, at least a portion of the second emissions, and at least a portion of the third emissions; and 
 a control circuit configured to adjust operation of one or more solid state light emitters or subgroups of the array of solid state light emitter groups to preferentially illuminate one or more subregions of the upright surface. 
 
     
     
       21. The lighting device of  claim 20 , further comprising at least one sensor arranged to sense at least one of an environmental condition and a property of the upright surface and produce at least one sensor output signal, wherein the control circuit is configured to adjust operation of one or more solid state light emitters or subgroups of the array of solid state light emitter groups to preferentially illuminate one or more subregions of the upright surface responsive to the at least one sensor output signal. 
     
     
       22. An outdoor billboard, poster, or illuminated sign comprising the lighting device of  claim 20 . 
     
     
       23. A lighting device configured for illuminating printed material comprising first, second, and third colored inks, paints, or dyes providing first, second, and third reflectance spectra comprising first, second, and third peak wavelengths, respectively, that differ from one another by at least about 40 nm, the lighting device comprising:
 at least one first solid state light source comprising a dominant wavelength within about 20 nm of the first peak wavelength; 
 at least one second solid state light source comprising a dominant wavelength within about 20 nm of the second peak wavelength; and 
 at least one third solid state light source comprising a dominant wavelength within about 20 nm of the third peak wavelength; 
 wherein the lighting device comprises two or more of the following characteristics (a) to (c): 
 (a) a luminous efficacy of at least 80 lumens per watt; 
 (b) an average color rendering index (CRI Ra) of at least 80; and 
 (c) a relative gamut (Qg) of at least 100. 
 
     
     
       24. The lighting device of  claim 23 , wherein one or more of the at least one first, the at least one second, or the at least one third solid state light source comprises a lumiphoric material. 
     
     
       25. The lighting device of  claim 23 , comprising a plurality of solid state light source clusters, wherein each solid state light source cluster of the plurality of solid state light source clusters includes a first solid state light source of the at least one first solid state light source, a second solid state light source of the at least one second solid state light source, and a third solid state light source of the at least one third solid state light source. 
     
     
       26. The lighting device of  claim 23 , comprising all three characteristics (a) to (c). 
     
     
       27. The lighting device of  claim 23 , being configured to illuminate an upright billboard or sign. 
     
     
       28. The lighting device of  claim 23 , wherein one or more of the at least one first, the at least one second, or the at least one third solid state light source comprises a lumiphor including a full width-half maximum intensity value of no greater than 35 nm. 
     
     
       29. The lighting device of  claim 23 , wherein aggregate emissions of the lighting device comprise a R9-prime color rendering value of greater than 110.